Hopes Rise For Motorway Campaign

West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty has described a “potentially very significant” weekend media reports that the Dublin government is, for the first time, to spend more than €1 Billion on infrastructure investment in the six counties as part of its National Development Plan 2007-2013 and that the upgrading of the 90 mile A5 route between Derry and Aughnacloy and the provision of radiotherapy services at Altnagelvin are 2 key projects earmarked for this investment.

The local MP Pat Doherty said,

“Sinn Fein has been running a vigorous campaign on the need to develop the N14, A5, N2 main arterial route from the North West to Dublin so as to enable this region to compete on an equal basis with other regions of Ireland which are miles ahead in terms of transport infrastructure, and as part of that campaign have been lobbying both governments and in Europe to respond to this demand.

“If, as it now appears, the Dublin government is prepared to make a substantial investment in this key strategic transport corridor from the North West to Dublin then I view this development as being very significant.

“However, the potential to overcome one of the most glaring infrastructural deficits on the island of Ireland will only be realised if the British government also agree to play ball and come up to the plate with its own financial package for this and other essential infrastructural projects.

“Sinn Fein has also been campaigning for a satellite Cancer Centre for the North West based at either Altnagelvin or Letterkenny and the inclusion of proposed funding for Radiotherapy Services at Altnagelvin in this National Development Plan is another encouraging sign that maybe the socio-economic needs of the people of the North West are at long last being taking seriously and that there is now going to be a move away from the partitionist thinking of both governments which has impeded development and equality on this island for generations.